Relations and Functions

Types of Relations


  • Identity Relation: R is an identity relation if (a, b) ∈ R if a = b, a ∈ A, b ∈ A. In other words, every element of ‘A’ is related to only itself.
  • Universal Relation: Let ‘A’ be any set and ‘R’ be the set A × A, then R is called the universal relation in ‘A’.
  • Void Relation: φ is called void relation in a set.
  • Types of Relations:
        Reflexive: If aRa ∀ a ∈ A i.e. if (a, a) ∈ R ∀ a ∈ A
        Symmetric: If aRb ⇒ bRa ∀ a, b ∈ A, i.e. if (a, b) ∈ R ⇒ (b, a) ∈ R
        Antisymmetric: If aRb and bRa ⇒ a = b, ∀ a, b ∈ A
        Transitive: If aRb and bRc ⇒ aRc, ∀ a, b, c ∈ A, i.e. (a, b) ∈ R and (b, a) ∈ R ⇒ (a, c) ∈ R, ∀ a, b, c ∈ A
        Equivalence relation: It should be reflexive, symmetric and transitive.
  • Inverse relation: If R is a relation from A to B, then R−1 is a relation from B to A and is defined as R−1 = {(b, a) / (a, b) ∈ R}
               i.e. aRb ⇒ bR−1a
        Domain of R = Range of R−1
        Range of R = Domain of R−1
  • Composite relation: If R ⊆ A × B and S ⊆ B × C then the composite relation is SoR ⊆ A × C
    SoR = {(a, b) ∈ R and (b, c) ∈ S ⇒ (a, c) ∈ SoR}
  • Partially ordered relation: A relation R is defined on the set A is said to be partially ordered relation if it is reflexive and antisymmetric and transitive.
  • Every identity relation is reflexive, converse need not be true also identity relation is reflexive, symmetric and transitive
  • The relation R on a set A is symmetric if and only if R = R−1.
  • The identity relation on a set is an anti-symmetric relation.
  • A relation which is not symmetric need not be antisymmetric.
  • a and b are relatively prime means the greatest common divisor of a and b is equal to 1
  • a ≡ b (mod m) means a – b is divisible by m.

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Part3: View the Topic in this video From 00:40 To 15:48

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  • The number of reflexive relations from A to A is 2n(n − 1). If n(A) = n.
  • The number of symmetric relations from A to A is 2^{\frac{n(n+1)}{2}} if n(A) = n.